t/O ANIMALCULA OF INFUSIONS* V' 



acquires more force and perfuafion when fupport- 

 ed by fads. I allowed the fluid about animal- 

 cular eggs to fail, fo that they remained quite 

 dry ten days ; then they were reflored to their 

 native liquid : — befides being revived, they were 

 foon hatched. From this there is no difficulty in 

 conceiving why animalcula originate in infafions 

 "where there are originally none ; efpecially by 

 refleding on the immenfe abundance diifeminated 

 through the air and on terreftrial fubftances ; and 

 confidering the innumerable animalcula inhabit- 

 ing the waters of the globe. 



Every fluid is not equally favourable to the ex- 

 panfion of animalcular eggs. Pure water alone 

 Is unfit for it : hence it is no longer a myflery, 

 why in it, and much more in diftilled water, we' 

 hardly ever fee animalcula^ On the other hand, 

 they ahvays originate in the water where vegeta- 

 ble feeds are macerated. I have found no fluids 

 better adapted to the produ&ion of eggs than 

 thofe where infufed feeds began to corrupt. The 

 appearance of animalcula fliews, that incipient 

 putrefaction creates qualities in the decompofmg 

 materials fit for developement of the egg : for 

 fuch is the tenor of nature, that eggs are not 

 excluded wherever they happen to be, or in 

 every cafe, but only in fuitable fituations, and 

 by means of certain determinate conditions. 



I have 



